


Moments in the Darkness

by LuminaFaith



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, I mean we all know she gets out in the end, Keyblade Master Aqua (Kingdom Hearts), Kinda?, Mentioned Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Mentioned Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), One Shot, Questions, Realm of Darkness (Kingdom Hearts), Sort Of, Wayfinder Trio (Kingdom Hearts), Word Sprint, You decide!, anyway where was I, are Terra and Aqua the adoptive parents of Ven?, eventually, inspired by a song, sad thoughts, takes a while but she gets there, written at midnight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27754084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuminaFaith/pseuds/LuminaFaith
Summary: During her long trek in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua takes a moment to let herself be vulnerable for once.
Kudos: 3





	Moments in the Darkness

She let out a deep breath.

It had been a long time since she had had a moment to herself, a moment between bouts of fighting. How long had it been? She wasn’t sure. Time didn’t work the same way in this world of darkness. Had it been a few minutes? Days? Months? For all she knew, it had been years since she last saw light, since she last saw her friends. _My friends…_

Where were they now? She had seen – _what was his name_ – Terra shortly before falling into the shadows, sent him far away from them with one of the only lifelines she had left. She could not bear to lose him, but he had not recognized her. _Had I been mistaken?_

Their master had spoken of darkness within his heart, and her own had nearly broken when she realized just what that had meant. Even now, the ache in her chest persisted. _How long will it be until I see him again?_

She tugged the charm from her pocket, stomach dropping when she noticed a scratch on the glass. She really wished she knew how long she’d been there. How long had it been since she last saw that signal from the charm, the one that had brought comfort and relief? _Will it still be intact when I leave this place?_

She sat down on the ground, squeezing herself into a corner that would keep her out of sight of the heartless. The hopelessness was coming back, pricking at her chest and intruding upon her mind. _Will I ever leave this place?_

A sob was stifled before it could travel and catch the unwanted attention of enemies. Was she going to survive this ordeal? She wasn’t sure how much longer she could take it. It was endless fighting, wave after wave after wave of inky black bodies throwing themselves at her. _When will it end?_

Asking that question was useless, she knew. She had learned a long time ago – _how long ago?_ – to not seek answers to her questions. The darkness offered no answers and all she could do was keep trudging on through the realm, searching for… _For what?_

What was she even looking for? The fables the Master had told her when she was a child – _sitting in a white tower, peering over his shoulder at a book with illustrations of the unknown_ – spoke of a realm of darkness, where the foulest of emotions, acts, and creatures dwelled and from where there was but a sole escape. This escape, she reminded herself, was through the Door of Hearts, but summoning the door was forbidden by wielders such as herself. _I don’t even know how._

Would she keep going? On the off chance that an idiot with a death wish summoned the Door? Realistically, she knew that it was more likely that she would remain in this world until her body gave out and the heartless would tear her apart. _But I can’t help but hope._

Sometimes, she’d come across a world entangled in the darkness. It was bittersweet, seeing something different in the dreary landscape. On one hand, perhaps she was getting closer to an exit if one existed, but on the other hand, they were painful reminders that something was happening in the realm of light – _her home_ _and all that was familiar_ – that was causing entire worlds to fall into darkness. _What’s happening while I’m stuck here?_

They were also reminders of the life that felt so long ago. Tears welled up in her eyes, something that surprised her. It had been a long time since she’d cried in her long journey. Most of the time, the worlds she saw were not ones she recognized, but there were a few that made her keel over from heartache, painfully recalling memories of her running around, calling out to her friends. _I always see them, Terra and Ven._

Stars above, _Ven_ – was he safe? He had to be, since she had turned their former home into a vault with him as its most prized content. Doubt picked at her mind and a fresh wave of emotions rolled over her. It had been even longer since she’d seen him in person. He had looked so weak then, with no life to his limbs and only the faintest sign that his heart was still beating. What if he woke up while she was gone? He would have no idea what had happened while he slept. _And I left him all alone._

She clutched the charm to her chest, fighting back the tears. She had to keep going, if only for the slim chance that she would see her friends again and alright and alive. She had to reunite with them and return to the life they had had before the darkness had dragged them all apart. She had made that promise to them, even if they hadn’t heard her say it. _I have to go back._

She dragged a hand across her eyes, wiping the moisture on her clothes. There was no time to stew in her own despair, lest she herself fall to darkness. If there was one thing she resolved to never do in this realm, it was succumbing to the shadows. She had seen what it had done to Terra – _the anger in his eyes had scared her_ – and what happened when he had given in – _their master was dead and at his hands_ – and she felt repulsed just from the thought. _I won’t allow it._

She slipped the charm back into her pocket, safely securing it. In a flash of light, she felt her blade’s weight settle in her hand, and she started her trek once again. The chitters of unseen creatures met her ears and she readied herself for her next trial in this realm. As the first of the dark figures entered her field of vision, her grip on her blade tightened in anticipation. _I will get out if it’s the last thing I do._

She was Aqua, a Master of the Blade, and she fully intended on keeping her lingering promises.

**Author's Note:**

> So, if you made it this far and are wondering why some terms seem a little different in this fic, I redirect your attention to the "word sprint" tag! I participated in a word sprint and scrambled to write this one shot, but the people I was writing and sharing with weren't familiar with the KH lore and I decided to sacrifice a bit of canonicity for legibility in the immersive reading experience. Seems like it worked ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> The song that motivated me throughout the sprint was "Dearly Beloved" put on a 30-minute loop. Fun! More specifically, the inspiration comes from AmaLee's cover (and original lyrics) that is sung in Aqua's perspective and has a distinctly more motherly tone towards Ven. This used to be written in the video's description, but I think it has since been replaced with promotional material.
> 
> If you enjoyed the story, leave a comment or come chat with me on Twitter (@LuminaFaith)!


End file.
